Ledward Kaapana

Led Kaapana grew up in a family of musicians in Kalapana, in the southernmost district of Hawaii Island. His teachers included his mother, Mama Tina Kaapana, from whom he learned to sing leo ki'eki'e (Hawaiian falsetto singing), and his uncle, Fred Punahoa. "We didn't have electricity, no television, not even much radio," says Kaapana. "So we entertained ourselves. You could go to any house, and everybody was playing music." Throughout his career, Led has dedicated himself to perpetuating his home's traditional style and repertoire, beginning in his teens with the group Hui ‘Ohana which produced 14 best-selling albums and became a key figure in the resurgence of traditional Hawaiian culture and music during the 1970s. Launching a solo career in 1983, Kaapana has continued to garner acclaim for his improvisational melodies and falsetto vocals. In 2011, he was awarded an NEA National Heritage Fellowship. Recognition by his peers earned Led four Grammy nominations in his own right and three wins on slack key compilations. He has won multiple Nā Hōkū Hanohano (Hawai‘i’s “Grammy”) awards, including Best Slack Key and Best ‘Ukulele and was voted Favorite Entertainer of the Year in 2009.